NCW Takes Suo Motu Cognizance Of News Report Linking Neha Singh Rathore To Sex Racket, Seeks Action Under IT Rules And ATR In 15 Days

The Commission acted on its own motion, without a formal complaint. According to its notice, it took cognizance of "reports regarding the publication of allegedly defamatory content by a News linking folk singer Neha Singh Rathore to an alleged sex racket." The notice records that "Following public criticism, the news network reportedly acknowledged that the report was factually incorrect and issued an apology."

The Commission did not wait for Rathore to file a complaint. Section 10(1)(f) of the National Commission for Women Act, 1990 empowers it to look into complaints and to take suo motu notice of matters relating to the deprivation of women's rights. That power allows the Commission to call for reports from the authorities concerned, though it cannot itself impose a penalty on a media house.

Rathore had herself tagged the Commission in her posts on X and asked whether it would take notice of the matter.

The NCW's request is routed through the Ministry, which oversees the regulation of broadcast and digital news content. The notice states that the Chairperson, Vijaya Rahatkar, "has asked the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to direct the concerned regulatory bodies, such as the Press Council of India; administrative bodies, such as the Electronic Media Monitoring Centre (EMMC); and self-regulatory bodies of the media industry, such as the News Broadcasters and Digital Association (NBDA) and the Digital Publishers Content Grievance Council (DPCGC), to ensure immediate and time-bound action under the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021."

The request thus falls on three sets of bodies: the Press Council of India as the statutory regulator; the EMMC, which monitors television content on behalf of the Ministry, as the administrative body; and the NBDA and the DPCGC as the industry's self-regulatory bodies.

The clip in question appeared on the network's digital platform, which brings it within Part III of the IT Rules, 2021. Those Rules apply a Code of Ethics to publishers of news and current affairs content on digital media and set up a three-tier grievance mechanism: self-regulation by the publisher, oversight by a self-regulating body of publishers, and an oversight mechanism of the Central Government at the third level.

It may be noted that in August 2021, the Bombay High Court stayed the operation of Rule 9(1) and Rule 9(3) of the 2021 Rules, which require digital publishers to adhere to the Code of Ethics, in AGIJ Promotion of Nineteenonea Media Pvt Ltd v. Union of India. The extent to which the Ministry and the bodies named can act under the Rules may turn on that position.

Beyond the specific complaint, the Commission framed the matter as one of women's dignity in media coverage. The notice states, "An Action Taken Report (ATR) has been sought within 15 days. The Commission has called for safeguards against gender-based character assassination and digital harassment against women."

It added, "Media freedom must be exercised responsibly, with due regard for factual accuracy, women's dignity, privacy and reputation."

The controversy began after Rathore accused ABP News of carrying a defamatory and factually incorrect report. The channel had published a nine-second clip on 17 October on its digital platform. Its Hindi headline asked whether there was a sex racket at a hostel linked to Rathore and stated that the police had raided the premises.

The clip circulated widely on social media, where many users questioned its basis.

Rathore is a Bhojpuri folk singer and social media personality, known for songs criticising unemployment, price rise and government policies. Rathore responded on X soon after the clip surfaced. She said the report portrayed her as a "call girl" and a "prostitute," and accused the channel of trying to humiliate her because she questions the government. She said the matter would not end there.

The channel posted a clarification on its official X account on 17 October, hours after the backlash began. The note described the news item as factually incorrect, and the network expressed regret and apologised.

Rathore did not accept the apology. She said an apology could not undo the damage once defamatory content had been published, and that the report had affected her mental well-being. She said she wanted justice, not regret. She has announced that she will initiate legal proceedings against the network, telling the channel that the matter would now be settled in court.